Utility vehicles such as pickup trucks typically include a bed that may be used for the storage of various objects, which may be associated with a tailgate that may be lowered from a raised position for covering the otherwise open trailing end of the bed. Such vehicles are often associated with towing equipment positioned in the bed, such as “fifth wheel” hitches or other types of hitch mounts. While useful for towing particularly large trailers, the tailgate in the fully raised condition may interfere with the towing equipment. Lowering the tailgate to accommodate the hitch assembly of the trailer is generally undesirable, as it renders the bed useless for securely storing any objects. Removing the tailgate is a time-consuming and cumbersome operation, and requires storing it when not in use.
Thus, a need is identified for a tailgate arrangement that can be adjusted to accommodate a hitch assembly for associating with a vehicle bed without compromising the ability to store objects in the bed and without the need for wholesale removal of the tailgate from the vehicle.